NHER 43698 (Monument record) - A possible area of medieval peat extraction to the west of Fritton Decoy

May 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A possible area of medieval peat extraction is visible on aerial photographs (S1) to the immediate west of Fritton Decoy (NHER 13527). The site is centred on TM 4656 9944. Fritton Lake or Decoy is a large flooded medieval peat extraction area that ran along the bottom of the valley. It is possible that this smaller area of extraction was much shallower and therefore has since been encroached upon by vegetation and silting. The deeper extraction employed to the east at Fritton Lake has meant that the cut is still water-filled. The site is visible as a darker, wetter area of ground measuring approximately 170m by 65m. In other Broads environments this type of feature visible on aerial photographs has been shown to be the location of former peat extraction sites, such as NHER 32157.
S. Massey (NMP), 31 May 2006.